Vending machine



April 3, 1928. 1,664,546

A. P. GILBERTSON VENDING MACHINE Filed March 2, 1925 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 1I M i 4 Ansel F Either-Tana A. P. GILBERTSON VENDING MACHINE Filed March2, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATLSE-L F. Eli Lb EH15 cm.

April 3, 1928. 1,664,546

A. P.- GILBERTSON VENDING MACHINE Filed March 2, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet .5

. gwuemto'o Ansel F. ELTEIEPTEUTL.

Patented Apr. 3, 192 8 UNITED STATES ANSEL I. GILBE BTSON, OI WAUSAU,WISCONSIN.

VENDING MACHINE.

Application 11166 March 2, 1925. SeI'iaI'No. 12,660.

ated vending machine, whic is particularl well adapted to be used inconnection wit vending of cigarettes and like articles.

A further object of this invention is the provisionof a simple andcompact vending machine, embodying an efiicient coin operated mechanism,fool-proof in nature, and

carried in an accessible position, and in such manner that the same willnot interfere with access to the interior of the machine for the purposeof refilling with the article to be dispensed.

A further object of this'invention is the provision of a novel type ofdispensing machine, embodying a closure which carries a coin operatingmechanism of a simple and compact nature.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent durlng'the course of the following detailed description.

6 In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding partsthroughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the hu proved vending machine. I

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 22 ofFigure 1, showing details of the improved vending machine.

' Figures 3, 4 and 5 are cross sectional views taken on their respectivelines in Figure 2 of the drawings.

Figures 6 and 7 are cross sectional views taken substantially on theirrespective lines in Figure 5 of thedrawings'.

Figures 8 and 9 are cross sectional views taken substantially on theirrespective lines in Figure 1 of the drawings.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown only apreferred embodiment of this invention, the letter A may generallydesignate the improved vending machine, which may consist of a casing B;dispensing mechanism C; and coin operated means D for cooperative usewith the dispensing mechanism C to regulate the dispensing of thearticles to be vended.

The casing B is of any approved character, although the same may berectangular, and

it consists of a body portion 10, providing a. rear wall 11; side walls12 and 13; top wall 14; and the weighted base or bottom wall 15; saidbody 10 beingopen forwardly thereof, and receiving the hinged closure16' thereat. The closure 16 is .rhingedly connected, as at 18, at theforward edge of the wall 12, and may swing to open the casing body 10 sothat the same ma be refilled with the articles to be ven ed. A 6 lookmechanism 20, of the key operated type, is supported by the free marginportion of the closure 16, for locking cooperation with suitable keepermechanism carried by the wall 13, the same being in accordance with theconstruction illustrated in Figure 9 of the drawings. If desired, thebody 10 may have the walls thereof constructed of wood, sheet lined withmetal, or said walls may be constructed of sheet or metal or wood.

Upon the exterior surface of the closure 16, it is preferred to mount apanel 26, which may be used for displaying advertisements of anyapproved character. At the lower portion of the closure 16, the same isprovided with an article dispensing opening 27 communicating with thereceiving compartment 28 of the body 10. The closure 16 forwardlythereof and below the panel 26 will also be provided with suitablereceptacle means 30 for carrying a box of matches 31.

Referring to the dispensing and article controlling mechanism C, thesame is carried entirely within the compartment 29 of the body 10, andthe same mainly includes a hopper or cylindrical shaped dispensingmember'35, which includes a shaft 36 centrally thereof having a bearing37 in the rear wall 11, and at the opposite end thereof providing abearing in the form of a clutch part 39, which rotatably bears in asupporting bracket 40, which is in the nature of a piece of sheetmaterial flanged at its ends 41 and secured to the inside surface of theside walls 12 and 13. This sheet metal supporting bracket 40 is disposedin a vertical plane,

inwardly of the compartment 29 of the body 10, in spaced relation to'thedoor or closure 16 when the same is shut, and it is mounted between thetop and bottom walls of the easing B. The dispensing cylinder 35 isreferabl s'o rotatably mounted on the sha t 36, and eyed thereto, at apoint between the side walls, and on an axis between the top and bottomwalls, although closer to the bot-' guide floors or walls 43 and 44 areprovided,

respectively secured to the walls 13 and 12, at points above the rolleror cylinder 35, and sloping downwardly therefrom, and at opposite sidesof said cylindrical shaped roller 35 providing arcuate portions 46 and47 respectively, arcuating about the external circumference of the said"cylinder 35, concentric therewith. The part of the compartment in thecasing B above the sloping walls 43 and 44 is adapted to receive thecigarettes or articles 47 to be vended. As this compart= at whichposition they are inclined for easy sliding through the opening 27,although the inclination of the portion 63 is not sufliciently great topermit the articles 47't0 fall by gravity through said opening 27.

The roller cylinder35 is of any approved solid or hollow construction,and of course is rigidly connected with the shaft 36 for rotationtherewith, It is, however, provided with a plurality of equal spacedlongitudinal pockets 65 in the outer periphery thereof, into which thearticles or cigarettes 47 may readily fall, tofill each of said pocketsas the roller is being rotated across the columns ment is relativelywide, and to keep the of cigarettes supported between the side articlesin parallel relation, to prevent their crossing, it is preferred toprovide vertically disposed guide walls or partitions 49 and 50, attheir upper ends secured as at 52 to the inside surface of the top wall14, and vertically depending into the compartment above'thedeliverycylinder 35, and sub-dividing said compartment above thedelivery cylinder 35 'into three compartments, wherein columns of thearticles 47 may be supported, to prevent the said articles 47 frombecoming disordered. The lower edges of the par-' tition walls 49 and 50terminate just short of contact with'the cylinder 35.

At the lower ends of the arcuate portions 46 and 47*, the same arespaced, and provided with tangential spaced flanges 55 and 56, leadingaway from the outer periphery of the delivery cylinder 35, and providinga tangential way 57 therebetween, through which the articles 47 aredelivered, and fall by gravity therethrough. The flange 55 is providedwith an edge baffle flange 58, at

right angles to the flange 55, and bathing over the end of the way 57,to prevent unauthorized tampering with the roller 35, as might occasionby insertion of a wire, by an unauthorized person, through the entranceopening 27 and into the receiving compartment 28. A lateral opening 60is thus provided between the baflie flange 58 and the edge of the guideflange 56, which changes the delivery direction of the'articles 47, asthey pass from the way 57 into the receiving compartment 28. Thereceiving comparte ment 28 is located at one side, and at the lowercorner of the body 10. An arcuated delivery shelf 62 extends fromconnection with the point of junctureof the guide flange 56 with thearcuate portion 47, and extends downwardly and across towards the wall13, and at its end is connected to the wall 13. This arcuate deliveryshaft 62 has a slope, as is illustrated at the portion 63, in Figures 2and 3 of the drawings, from the rear wall 11 towards the deliveryopening 27 the closure 16, s'orthat the articles 47 may have a tendencyto flow downwardly over the delivery shelf 62 onto the arcuate portion63,

outer periphery of the same includes a Wall connected rearwardly inspaced relation at the inside surface of the closure or door 16, inspaced relation therewith to provide a compartment 72 between the saidwall 70 and the closure 16. Upon the inside surface of this wall 70 awall 73 is connected, in spaced relation, providing acompartment 74between the same and the wall 70, and within which compartmentvertical'guide flanges 75 and 76 are provided, between which a guideslot or way 77 is provided, adapted to slidably receive therein a lowerslide member 78, and an upper hand operated and coin engaging slide orplunger 79, the nature of which will be subsequently described. Arearmost wall or partition 80 is carried by the closure 16,

spaced from the inner wall 73, and adapted when the door or closure 16is shut to lie in the same plane above the bracket plate 40 whichprovides a bearing for one end of the cylinder 35. This wall 80 is solocated that the cigarettes at their forward ends cannot be displaced,and will be properly guided onto the cylinder 35. Below the Wall portion80, a wall portion 83 is provided, preferabl integral with the wall 80,and forward y of the bearing bracket plate 40, within which an openingisprovided for rotatably supporting a clutch part 88, adapted to cooperatewith the clutch part 39 of the dispensing cylinder 35, in a manner whichwill be subsequently described. These walls may be assembled in therelation described by means of screws or bolts 85, after the mannerillustrated in Figure 6 of the drawings, or may be soldered to eachother and to the door 16.

A stub shaft 89 rotatably bears in the walls 70. and 73 across the space74 therebetween, in axially aligning relation with the shaft 36, of thedispensing cylinder 35, and projects into the compartment or space 72between the closure 16 andthe wall 70, and therein is provided with agear 90. The

shaft 89 also extends into the space between the wall 73 and the wallportion 83, and in fact'has the clutch part 88 keyed thereto. Betweenthe clutch part 88 and the wall 73, however, an arm 91 is pivotallymounted upon the shaft portion 89, and is provided with a pawl 92adapted to cooperate over the teeth 93 of a ratchet wheel 94 which iskeyed to the stub shaft 89 adjacent thg clutch part 88. The slide member78 is slidable in a path which intersects the stub shaft 89, and isprovided witlra verticalslot 96 therein to permit relative movement ofthe said slide member with respect to the shaft 89, and as isillustrated in Figure 5 of the drawings. The outer or upper end of thearm 91'is pivotally connected to the up er end of the slide member 78,by means 0 a connecting rod or shaft 99; the pin 100 which so connectsthe connecting rod to the slide member 78 extending through the wall 73,through a vertical slot 102 therein, so that the pin mayslide along thiswall in a defined path. The connecting rod 99 and the arm 91 are pivotedin an obtuse angular relation, with the pivotal connection 103 of theconnecting rod with the arm 91 located laterally of the path of slidingmovement of the slide member 7 8, so that upon downward movement of theslide member 78 the pawl 92 engaging the ratchet wheel 94 will cause thesame to rotate for a certain degree of movement, sufficient when theclutch members 88 and 89 are in engagement to rotate the dispensingcylinder 35 for a degree of movement sufficient to dispensing onecigarette or article 47. A spring 105 is preferably connected between anarm 106 rigid with the arm 91 and the pawl 92, for the purpose of urgingthe latter into engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 94, toprevent displacement therefrom. To prevent return movement of theratchet wheel 94 a detent 107 ispivoted, as at 108, to the wall 73,spring urged, as at 109, into engagement with the teeth of the ratchetwheel 94, to prevent such backward movement, as is illustrated in Figure4 of the drawings.

The closure 16 at an upper corner thereof is provided with a coininserting opening 115 therein, and such opening extends into thecompartment 74 between the walls and 73, wherein downwardly andlaterally sloping guide flanges 116 and 117 are provided, to define away 118 which communicates with the way 77, so that the coin may passalong the way 118 into the way 7 7 to a point between the upper plungeror slide member 79 and the lower sllde member 78, and upon the upperbeveled edge 119 of which lower slide member 78 the coin rests, as isillustrated in Figure 5 of the drawings. In the compartment or space 74between the walls 70 and 73 a lateral and downwardly sloping The ways118 and 120 are, however, divergent with respect to each other from theway 77 and the way 120 downwardly slopes into communication with avertical way 122, which at the lower end thereof is provided with anopening 123 through the wall 73, which communicates into a coinreceiving comparment 125 located in the body 10 above the base 15, andbelow the arcuate article guiding wall 62, as is illustrated in Figures3 and 7 of the drawings. The lower edge of the slot 123, is beveleddownwardly, as at 128, to insure the dropping or lateral movement of thecoin from the slot 122, as the same reaches the opening 123, and as isillustrated in the drawings.

A handle or finger engaging knob 130 is connected with the upper end ofthe plunger 79, extending through vertical slots 131 provided in thedoor 16 and the wall 70, and projecting exteriorly of the door orclosure 16, where a person may gras the same in order to push theplunger 79 ownwardly in the way 77. A spiral compression spring 133 isdisposed in the space 72 between the closure 16 and the adjacent wall70, at its lower end resting upon a pin or analogous support 134 and atits upper end engaging the knob or finger member 130 to force the sameupwardl in the slots 131, and to always maintain t e member 79 in its upermost position in the slot 77 and so that t e beveled lower edge 140thereof is always upwardly above the entrance of the way 118 to the way77 to permit the coin to roll downwardly along the way 118 into thespace in the way 77 between the edges 119 and 140, as is illustrated inFigure 5 of the drawings. A spring 145 is provided for bringing thelower slide member 78 back to its uppermost position in the way 77 andthis spring is illustrated in Figure 2 as being connected to the wall 73at its upper end and to the pin 100 at its lower end to operate in themanner mentioned.

Referring to the operation of the improved vending machine, a personslips a coin of suitable character into the opening 115,- and the sameby gravity rolls downwardly along the sloping way 118 into the way 77 toresting relation upon the upper edge 119 of the slide member 78. Theperson then pushes downwardly upon the knob 130, which directs the slidemember or plunger 79 downwardly along the way 77 until the lower edge140 thereof comes into engagement with the coin at its upper edge. Thiscoin is of just sufficient diameter that the space occupied thereby willpermit the lowering of the plunger 79 to also lower or push theslidemember 78 downwardly. Such downward movement of the slide member 78functions in the manner above described for moving the arm 91 upon theshaft 89 as a pivot axis, so that the pawl 92 engaging the teeth of theratchet wheel 94 will rotate the latter to the desired degree, formoving the cylinder 35 in the direction illustrated by the arrow inFigure 3 of the drawings, to uncover one of the grooves 65 so that thecigarette or article 47 in that groove will roll downwardly along thebattled way to the dispensing compartment 28, and from which theoperator may extract the same through the opening 27, as is obvious. Thecoin in the slot 77 maintains its position until the same comes oppositethe entrance of the sloping way 120 to the way 77, and when in thisposition the fact that the coin is pressed between the beveled edges 119and 140, which diverge towards the way 120, causes this coin to enterthe way 120 and drop downwardly therealong'into the way 122, and throughthe opening 123 into thecoin receiving compartment 125. Upon the releaseof the coin into the way 120, the spring 145 will of course urge theslide member' 7 8 upwardly, and thus moving the pawl 92 backwardly overthe teeth of the ratchet wheel 94. The ratchet wheel 94 during suchbackward movement of the pawl, however, is prevented from turning by thedetent 107, as above mentioned, and as is illustrated in Figure 4 of thedrawings. The clutch parts 88 and 39 are of any approved nature,although it is preferred that the same at their facing surfaces beprovided with tapered radially extending teeth, or corrugations, adaptedto intermesh with each other to provide a positive connection betweenthe shafts 89 and 36. It is also preferred to point or taper the shaft89, as at 150, for seating in a suitable recess in the end of the shaft36, after the manner illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings, toproperly align the shafts 36 and 89, and cause the clutch parts to seatin meshing relation, as the door 16 is closed to place the parts of themechanism in an operating connecting relation.

To prevent rotation of the cylinder 35, by unauthorized means, exceptwhen the proper coin is inserted between the slide members 78 and 79, itis preferred to connect a detent 166 with the lower portion of the slidemember 7 8, by means which extends through a slot 156 formed in the wallthe detent 155 at its upper end being provided with a series of teeth orrecesses of a nature to intermesh with the teeth of the gear 90; thesaid detent 155, of course, operating in the space between the closure16 and the wall 70, and being held into engagement with the gear 90 bythe spring 145, when the slide member 78 is uppermost, to effectivelyprevent any rotation of the dispensing cylinder 35, until the slidemember 78 is lowered to move the detent out of engagement with the gear90. As is illustrated in the drawings, the walls carried at the insideof the closure 16, at the swinging edge of said closure 16 are spaced topermit the inward swinging of the same into the body 10 of the casing13, as is illustrated in Figures 6 and 8 of the drawings. compartment,the space between the s1de wall 13 and the free edge of the closurecarried walls, is closed by means of a flange 160, to preventliabilityof catching of the cigarettes in this space.

From the foregoing description of this invention it is apparent that anovel type of vending machine has been provided, which includes a noveltype of coin operating mechanism carried by the closure, so that thedetails of the invention are very compact when assembled to enableaccess to the easing for refilling purposes, and to enable a propercooperative connection of the dispensing mechanism with the coinoperated mechanism, for the purpose of efliciently dispensing thecigarettes.

Various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be madeto the form of invention herein shown and described, without departingfrom the spirit of this invention or the scope of the claims.

- I claim:

1. In a vendin'g machine of the class described the combination of acasing including a body providing a compartment therein and a closuremember connected to said body for closing said compartment, said bodyincluding a rear wall and a bracket plate extending across the. forwardpart of said compartment adjacent said closure member, dispensingmechanism in the compartment including a shaft bearing in said rear walland in said bracket plate, a clutch member carried by the shaftforwardly of the bracket plate, a wall carried inwardly by said closuremember in spaced relation therewith adapted to extend into saidcompartmentfor guiding articles to be dispensed onto said dispensingmechanism, and operatin means carried by the closure member inc uding ashaft and a clutch member adapted to releasably mesh with the clutchmember of said dispensing mechanism when the closure member is shut oversaid compartment.

2. In a vending machine the combination of a housing, a dispensingcylinder rotatably carried in said housing, guide walls enclosing saidcasin cylinder and at the lower portion of sand cylinder having inclinedspaced flanges providinga'way inclined between the vertical andhorizontal and exiting from the periphery of said cylinder and throughwhich articles may pass from said cylinder, and a baffle plate carriedby one of said flanges extending across said way In the upper cigarettesupply.

short of the other flange to baflie the path of travel of the articlesas they are dispensed from said cylinder.

3. The combination with a housing providing a compartment therein and adelivery opening throu h the compartment, a dispensing cylin errotatably carried in the compartment of said housing providing pocketsinwardly of the periphery thereof,

means for guiding articles into the pockets of said periphery comprisingarcuate walls extending about said periphery and downwardly about 'theroller and at the lower edges thereof having inclined flanges in spacedrelation to provide an inclined way through which the articles pass asthey are dispensed from said cylinder, a baffle plate carried by one ofsaid flanges extending across said way short of the other flange toprovide a dispensing way between said bafiie plate and said otherflange, and an arcuate guide flange extending in said housing from saiddispensin way towards the delivery opening of sai housing, said lastmentioned flange being inclined towards said delivery opening.

4. In a vending machine the combination of a casing having a compartmenttherein, said casing having an opening in the'front thereof to saidcompartment, a closure movably carried by the casing for closing saidopening, a dispensing cylinder rotatably supported by the casing in saidcompartment having a rlgid clutch disc thereon facing towards theopening of the casing and-having a serrated face, a shaft rotatablysupported by and movable with the closure, and coaxial with saiddispensing cylinder when the closure is shut; means supported on theclosure for rotating said shaft, and a clutch disc carried by the shaftat the inside of the closure having a serrated face adapted to mesh faceto face with the dispensing cylinder clutch disc when the closure isshut over the opening of the casing, said clutch discs being disengagedwhen the closure is open with respect to said casing.

ANSEL P. GILBERTSON.

